Don’t treat tennis elbow; prevent it

A Dear Reader writes: “I have tennis elbow. It’s a sharp pain and my doctor wants me to take painkillers until it passes. He wrote a prescription and was out of the room in five minutes. What else can I do? I love tennis and I’m interesting in preventing, not treating.” — L.R.

A great question to ask just as the U.S. Open is dazzling us with top-tier tennis.

Condition yourself with a variety of aerobic activities — biking, swimming, fast walking, running, whatever mix you like — at least 3-5 times a week, at least 30 minutes per session.

Ding! Ding! Ding! LR wins three gold stars for wanting some help preventing a sports injury that is entirely preventable. And three fat demerits to your doctor for pushing pills and prescriptions when what you really need is a little education.

What can you do to prevent tennis elbow? Plenty.

■ Don’t overdo it.

Technically, tennis elbow is an inflammation (tendonitis) of the tendon where it attaches to the muscles in the forearm that extend your fingers and wrist. Find it; feel it. I’ll wait.

Tennis elbow is not limited to tennis players. Golfers and luggage handlers can get it too. It’s an overuse problem. That means you’re doing more with your muscles than your body is prepared for: hitting too many golf or tennis balls, or lifting too much weight.

The stress of these repeated moves causes degenerative changes (little tears) in the tendon. That produces local swelling and pain and — ouch! — next thing you know you’re standing in line at a Walgreen store, waiting for your fix.

The good news is, tennis elbow, like any tendinitis, comes and goes. The body is fully capable of healing itself. But preventing an overuse injury is winning in straight sets.

■ Get fit. Tennis alone will not make you strong or flexible or develop your endurance. There’s too much starting and stopping and too little steady exertion, especially when every third shot flies over the fence.

This is where self-care comes into play. Condition yourself with a variety of aerobic activities — biking, swimming, fast walking, running, whatever mix you like — at least 3-5 times a week, at least 30 minutes per session. Have you seen Rafael Nadal in action? Believe me, he didn’t get that gorgeous body practicing his drop shot.

■ Take lessons. Poor playing technique is a big cause of tennis elbow. Punching at the ball, a lame serve, a weak backhand and lack of follow-through all increase the stress on your muscles and tendons. Pay now, or pay later.

■ Fit your racquet. Get a pro to check your grip size. There should be about a finger’s width separating the tip of your middle finger from the crease at the base of your thumb. Too small a grip leads to muscle fatigue. Too large a grip makes for a weaker stroke.

■ Stretch and strengthen. Strong, flexible forearms are a huge help in preventing tennis elbow. Do the following, for a big net gain:

Squeeze: Grip down on a squeezable ball with your arm extended out in front of you. Squeeze . . . and hold briefly, working up to 40-60 times. You can do this while walking, while waiting, anytime you have a free hand.

Curl: Hold onto a 2-to-5 pound weight, and rest that forearm on a table, with the weighted hand hanging over the edge, palm down. Slowly flex your wrist, working up to 15-to 20 times. Turn your hand over so the palm faces up, and flex some more. Switch arms, and repeat. (Even you don’t have a two-handed backhand, you want to develop your muscles evenly.)

Stretch: To warm up your forearm, extend your arm in front of you, palms down. Use your other hand to flex your wrist and gently push against your fingers as they are pointing to the sky. Hold for 10-20 seconds; repeat 10 times. Then flex your wrist so that your fingers are pointing toward the floor. Hold for 10-20 seconds; repeat 10 times. Switch arms, and begin again.

Thanks for the question, LR. And here’s my forehand back to you: Think about switching from a doctor whose first and only response is pills and prescriptions to one who will treat your total well-being.

They’re out there. When you find one, make her your doubles partner.

Marilynn Preston is a fitness expert, personal trainer and speaker on healthy lifestyle issues. She has a website, marilynnpreston.com, and welcomes reader questions, which can be sent to MyEnergyExpress@aol.com.

Marilynn Preston

Marilynn Preston is a fitness expert, personal trainer and speaker on healthy lifestyle issues. She has a website, marilynnpreston.com, and welcomes reader questions, which can be sent by email.

Last modified: September 2, 2014
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